Missouri Books

I can't say enough how much I enjoy every book Dorothy Garlock writes.
She has a way of telling each story and really makes the reader feel like she is back in time. I have already read this book but wanted to read it again as I do many of her books. I am looking forward to her next book, On Tall Pine Lake, can't wait.
If you like books with a little of everything, you will enjoy this book.

This is a sweet and action-packed story, with the love story of Berry and Simon and Rachel and Fain. Dorothy Garlock is a master of creating memorable characters.... and this is one of her best.

Berry and Rachel are two strong female characters, that overcome numerous hardships, but always help each other through them. Their troubles seem to grow and grow, and even the strong characters of Simon and Fain get drawn into their bad luck.

This book is full of romance, intense action, and lots of suspense. I couldn't put this one down!

Enjoy, I'm off to read Annie Lash now! Watch for my upcoming review.

Dorothy Garlock's book is a great read. The characters are believable. I have read the book numerous times. It was read so often, I bought a second copy.

There is a fine line between a heroine who is 'spunky' and a heroine who is TSTL (too stupid to live). Dorothy Garlock's heroine in WILD, SWEET WILDERNESS is definitely TS.

Reluctantly, Berry Warfield and her pregnant stepmother are traveling to Missouri. Missouri is a long way from an Ohio homestead, but the cruel actions of a vicious man forced the journey. Suddenly, fate intrudes and they are finally free. Berry Warfield's wretched father is dead and now the two women must face the savage wilderness alone.

Simon Witcher is a rough, tough, frontier man. He is a man who loves the challenge of unbroken land. He is a trader and an adventurer and although Berry Warfield's beauty and carefree spirit fascinate him, there simply is no room in his vigorous life for her.

Dorothy Garlock is an author who CAN write a historical setting. This author never ceases to amaze with her unique specified gift. However, a pleasant feeling of excitement and wonder should always fill a romance story. The romance should be idealistic, sentimental, and mystifying. In WILD, SWEET WILDERNESS the heroine's actions are not pleasingly romantic. Regrettably, Berry Warfield's vicious tongue and foolish ideas are not enjoyable to read. Even so, Garlock's strong writing style, setting control, and secondary characters do manage to pull WILD, SWEET WILDERNESS into 'page turner' territory.
Grade: B-

MaryGrace Meloche.

Once again I've gotten to read about an interesting time in our country's history and enjoyed a wonderful story as well. I have almost all of Ms. Garlock's books and consider each of them a treasure. I have a book shelf specifically dedicated to her work. She's one of a kind!

I could not put this book down. Having family that fought on both sides in Southeast Missouri during the Civil War this book gave insights to the thinking on both sides.

Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand: The Renowned Missouri Bushwhacker, deftly edited by journalist and historian Kirby Ross offers an insightful look into the conflicted life of the Civil War guerrilla fighter Samuel S. Hidebrand. As an informative and ably researched interpretation and competently editing of the original memoir, Kirby Ross variably adds key bits of information relevant to our understanding of a Civil War soldier's intricate life. The Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand is highly recommended reading for scholars, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Civil War Studies.

A reprint of the original 1870 Autobiography, it has been reproduced in various formats the last couple decades. Ross has however, for the first time, edited the work that was written for Sam Hildebrand by boyhood friends, James W. Evans and A. Wendell Keith. For the most part, the 172 pages of text is as it was originally compiled. This is followed by endnotes of 90 pages with a bibliography and index. The true value of the book is in the endnotes.

Ross has skillfully researched and compared Hildebrand's claimed exploits with actual military data to prove statements in the Autobigraphy. He has used many obscure sources and obviously contributed much thought into proving the bushwhacker's tales written five years after the War. Hildebrand was not shy in his statements regarding the men he killed and why they met such a fate. Credit is due the author for his research into Missouri's Enrolled Militia units, Hildebrand's most frequent foe, as most writers do not have the tenacity to tackle this very difficult research.

A less researched area is the genealogy aspects of the story. Unfortunately, Hildebrand was not more candid about his family history while it has always held an interest to the genealogist
and casual reader who may claim a kinship to him. The author could have explored Hildebrand and others' genealogy without too much trouble. Some errors exist in not thoroughly scouring local probate, census and land records. Another drawback is the criticism of others' research, which may be valid but takes away from the main theme of the book---that is editing Hildebrand's version of his Civil War.

In conclusion, a very desirable book for the history on Southeast Missouri during the Civil War.

Although figures such as William C. Quantrill and Bill Anderson are better known today, Sam Hildebrand was an equally notorious Missouri bushwhacker in the southeast region of the state. Operating with a small group of followers (and often by himself), Hildebrand and his rifle "Kill-Devil" were a terror to local Unionist civilians, Vigilance Committee members, and pro-Union Missouri militiamen. Interesingly, some of his ops seem more akin to a Marine scout sniper (albeit alone rather than with a spotter) than a CW bushwhacker. He often scouted alone far from friendly refuge, lying in the woods for days seeking an opportunity to bag his quarry. Hildebrand managed to survive the war only to be killed attempting to escape from court officers holding him on assault charges.

Most 'authors' of edited memoirs simply add background information or short chapters intended to place the memoir in its proper historical context. Here, Kirby Ross has gone far beyond this and has created a book that should be a model for others to follow. It is really two books in one--the memoir and the notes. What makes this new edition important to the study of the Civil War in SE Missouri are the exhaustive notes researched and compiled by Ross. In his notes (which comprise nearly half the book) he takes the claims made by Hildebrand in his book and examines their validity using evidence from all available viewpoints. It is not unusual to see the author spend several pages on a single citation, providing extensive background context and excerpting articles, military reports, and letters from all sides that either support or contradict Hildebrand's story.

It is an impressive effort and is an exceptional addition to the literature of the war in SE Missouri, a place that today carries the deserved reputation of being associated with a dearth of serious scholarship. Ross is certainly doing his part to reverse this unfortunate trend. Highly recommended.

Plager produces here a short but entertaining read on the life and times of a modern NHL club from its inception in the late 1960s to today's front-office dealings. He's not only a good story-teller, but a great human being who's still involved in the Blues organization, and his stories do a great job of illustrating the changes the sports went through in the past fifty years when they began as part-time recreation to become Big Business (TM). Highly recommended.

Very good book, lots of funny, inside stories on a longtime NHL team.

This was an excellent book. Bob Plager tells stories from the blues and his life like no one else. He is truly a legend. This book is a must for any true Blues fan. Bleed Blue.

This book was so good, I was dissapointed when I had finished it, I wanted to hear more tales from the Blues' Bench. Bobby Plager did a fantastic job! I can't wait for his next book to come out.

This is a wonderful guide into Minnesota's past. Letters and articles accompany photos that bring you to places that you've been and acquaint you with it's character. Truly a terrific book for those that love the warmth and charm of the characters and life that make Minnesota home!

An excellent collection of diaries and letters from Minnesota territory days thru early in her statehood. Accompanied by many great photo's depicting the times.A great fireplace companion!

An excellent collection of diaries and letters from Minnesota territory days thru early in her statehood. Accompanied by many great photo's depicting the times.A great fireplace companion!

Bring Warm Clothes : Letters and Photos from Minnesota's Past was written by a former columnist for the Minnesota Star and Tribune, Peg Meier. It is a great treat, both as a peek into the past and as a well "written" work of history. The author includes pictures, diary entries, newspaper articles, letters, and government documents to create her biography of the state.

The book is heavily illustrated. Among the visual works are paintings of Minnesota from its exploration years, mostly by Seth Eastman and Karl Bodmer, which capture the rustic and wild character of a land yet untrammeled by the fences, industrial complexes and housing developments with which most of us are familiar. For those who like to see photographic reality, there are photos of Minnesota's early pre- and post-statehood years during the 19th Century and of the 20th Century up to World War II. The former include pictures of the Civil War in which the volunteers of the First Minnesota Regiment participated. In all some 25,000 men from the state fought in battles like Bull Run, Antietam, and Gettysburg, losing some 2,500 men, almost one out of every ten. Other photos show the old homes, city and town streets, early industry, sod homes, and family and other groups that bring to life a time past.

Particularly enjoyable were the letters from the early settlement of Saint Paul and Minneapolis as presented in the merry correspondence of the Fuller family, and the witty press releases of Jane Grey Swisshelm in her paper the St Cloud Visiter, later the St. Cloud Democrat. The letters of Harriet Griswold reveal the fact that boom and bust economy is not new to our era, when her correspondence goes from exuberence and big plans in October of 1856 to bearly hanging on in September of 1858. The Civil War diaries of Sam Bloomer and Isaac Taylor and the World War I letters of Philip Longyear, an ambulance driver at the French front, bring those conflicts to a more vivid reality. The plight of the Native Americans and the fear and reactionism that the Indian Wars generated is also covered.

The author has, wisely in my opinion, allowed the primary sources speak for themselves. She adds very little interpretive material of her own and then only to clarify where necessary or to provide follow up information.

One of the principle points of note is the fact that most of these people had many of the same problems we have, and that they bring some of the same perspectives, same blind spots, and same sense of humor that we bring to our own daily lives. They lived one day at a time, facing an unknown future with the same uncertainty that we do. Some stories came out with a happy ending, some did not. It makes one wonder what some future writer of Minnesota history will say and think of our own times.

It is a great book. I recommend it to anyone studying history of the southern United States or just U.S. history.

Hair's deeply insightful story of one man driven to take the most desperate of measures in New Orleans at the turn of the Century (1900) will keep you home and the TV off.

Sit back, fasten your seatbelt and go back to Mississippi after the Civil War. It's a tough place to visit, you sure would not want to live there. Eianr E. Kvaran

This is a big little book well worth reading and well worth owning with a place of honor in the personal library.

Hair does a remarkable job of pulling together the obscure and little-known facts about "Robert Charles", an obscure and little-known historical figure who would have quickly made himself perfectly at home in 1960s America. More importantly, Hair's research and narrative provide a brilliant portrait of a period of American history, approaching the mystery of Robert Charles through a necessarily oblique but dead-on examination of turn of the century racial etiquette in the South; Afro-American attitudes regarding racism, self-defense, identity, militancy, and politics; state and regional economic issues; and the pathological behavior of the white victims of supremacist theories and beliefs. Although the question of who, exactly, was Robert Charles cannot be completely answered---if it could, Hair would have done it---the question of WHY did Robert Charles exist and die as he did is effectively answered through a compelling narrative that proves that history and its writing can be as exciting as any modern story of injustice, oppression, personal dignity in the face of ultimate destruction, and right beaten to ground by actual numerical, and assumed racial, superiority. Hair deserves to be honored for his detective work and meticulous research as well as his ability to make about two hundred pages do the work of some who would have said the same thing, and less eloquently, in six hundred. He should also be commended for refusing to let anything but historical facts and sound reasoning fill in the blank spaces in his history because the temptation to make assumptions in order to flesh out Charles' story must have been a consideration during the writing of the book. This is a small, well-written, rewarding examination of a historical figure and the times that he lived and died in. It's surprising to me that no one has made a movie based upon the book since it has all the drama, suspense, tension, tragedy, and action anyone could possibly hope for regarding a historical figure whose pledge to live and die like a man was a sacred vow and, perhaps, a moral lesson. For those who are aware of Robert F. Williams' place in Afro-American history, Robert Charles will be recognized both as of his time and ahead of it, helping to lay a foundation for the future struggles of others.

Considering the fact that Hair first published this book in the late 1970s or very early 1980s, I am amazed that there are so few reviewers of it. I fervently hope that the lack of reviews is not an indication of a lack of readers for this important historical work.

William Ivy Hair in this fast-paced, readable book accomplishes more in a couple of hundred pages than many of our more ponderous historians have aimed to achieve in far-bulkier works. If future historians learn to write and marshall their facts as well as Hair does here, the tales of our past will remain vivid and important to young readers of the future.

This book was just as advertised. It allowed for easy readability and understanding of an American classic.

Think about this for a sec...
Your going to a grave yard at mid night with a friend to see if devils are really and if there take the body of a dead man who died a couple days befor. Any way you and your friend are waiting for the monsters to come and take the bait but as your waiting you hear a sound but its not what you expect. Its three intirely different people coming for the goods left in the cofin. But then out of no were one of them kills his partnerand blames the other one for doing it! Then you and your friend relize your in grave danger, if the murder finds out that you know what he did then he'll come after you and your buddy next!How did Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn do it? find out by reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

These are just fantastic books. Tom Saywer is the first of these classics that I read to my kids and they absolutely loved it. The book itself is beautifully bound and seems like almost a collectors item. I found that they really did manage to capture all the best parts of the original and kept the pace going so the kids couldn't get enough. Well done....will collect all the Classic Start books!

My third grader loved this book, as well as the one about Huck Finn. He's not one to just pick up a book and start reading. He has to be motivated and encouraged! So, to see him WANT to read this book without me pushing him ~~~ means it MUST be good! He said it was full of adventure and he loves adventure. These Classic Start books are GREAT! I highly recommend!!!

I was looking for information on the Missouri river in the Kansas City area and was not disappointed.

Having boated from the Beaverhead and Jefferson tributaries of the Missouri River and then all the way down past St. Louis in 2003 and 2004 at approximately the same time of year as David Miller did, I can verify that not only has David told it the way it was, his strategies for paddling the "Missou Lady" in the future, are as good as it gets.

When meeting in 2003, as the only guests at an out-of-the-way state campground in South Dakota, we exchanged notes and thoughts as considerate adventurers do.

In 2004, I knew through a mutual and now belated friend,that David was a week or so ahead of me, below the headwaters.We didn't meet, but later went over detail in a way that only two people sharing the same experience can do.

Of extreme importance to anyone considering a venture such as paddling the Missouri, are the threads in David's words of planning/scouting ahead, using local knowledge to revise/improve one's plan, and executing with discretion, a cool head, and a quick, sure hand.

His consistent emphasis on those things most important to a paddler is a crucial key for any would-be adventurer. I saw a great number of paddlers who would have benefited greatly from his sage advice and suffered the consequences of not having had it. The difference was that between a challenging, but enjoyable outing and a disaster.

The succinct and varied references to the Lewis and Clark expedition information data base will enrich the reader's experience greatly, if time is taken to skim them, at least, lightly before and then fully, during the trip.

Lastly, David's approach of safety considerations first and letting discretion, be the better part of valor, is right on target, since a lot of the time, only you are going to get yourself out of trouble when paddling the remote parts of the Missouri River.

Hat's off for a job well done, David.

Good Luck and Steady Winds,

Wayne A. Willkomm

The Complete Paddler: A Guidebook for Paddling the Missouri River from the Headwaters to St. Louis, Missouri is a no-nonsense manual written for paddlers of all skill and experience levels with an interest in exploring the Missouri River. Chapters discuss necessary equipment, risks and hazards, shoreline descriptions, currents and prevailing winds, portages, river-mile marks, historical sites to be seen, and much more. The Complete Paddler also capitalizes on modern advancements by using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to give accurate "sailing directions". Author David Miller also recounts his personal anecdotes of his three-summer-long, solo kayak expedition. Enthusiastically recommended for kayakers with an interest in experiencing the great Missouri River for themselves.

I wrote the canoe guide to the Missouri after my trek down the river in 1999 and that book is still in print..BUT this one is better..if you only are buying one book get this one, not mine. It is a considerable improvement on my guidebook. If, however you actually intend to canoe the whole river, or a major part of it you might also want mine. Dave has done a great service to us all! Thanks Dave!

History books generally get a bad rap because so many end up dry in the details, dry in the telling. Thankfully, the Enemy Among Us avoids this trap, and with an emphasis on telling the story in the words of the people who were there, David Fiedler offers a delightful account of when 15,000 German and Italian POWs came to Missouri in WWII.

The Enemy Among Us is richly spiced with first-person accounts from many perspectives of the POW camps, from prisoner and guard, camp worker and ordinary citizen, and beyond. Accounts of friendship, escape, mischief and romance keep it lively, and Fiedler's eye for detail and human interest make his narrative sparkle.

The Enemy Among Us offers first an overview of the POW program, and then works its way geographically through the Missouri camps. The four big camps (Clark, Crowder, Leonard Wood and Weingarten) each merit their own chapter, and subsequent chapters examine the smaller branch camps as they were clustered in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, in the Missouri Bootheel, in central Missouri, and other parts of the state. Fiedler closes his book with a chapter that details the POWs' return to Europe, their experience after the war, and in some cases, their return to the U.S. as visitors or immigrants. Over a hundred photographs put faces on the people involved and provide a nice accompaniment to the text.

Because of its easy-reading examination of a fascinating, yet little-known subject, The Enemy Among Us will appeal to just about anyone, whether WWII history buff or someone simply interested to hear about the time when 30 POW camps dotted the Missouri landscape, and German- and Italian-speaking soldiers worked in the fields.

There's not much I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. It is absolutely wonderful, very colorful and easy to follow, it doesn't bore you to death with useless facts. The stories are rich and fascinating and the pictures captivating.
If you have even the tiniest bit of interest in POWs in America or Missouri - this is a definite must-have.

David Winston Fiedler provides a noteworthy read with this study of Prisoners of War held in captivity throughout Missouri. He exposed the shortcomings and successes that the America's POW program achieved. Obviously a student of Dr. Krammer's work "Nazi Prisoners of War in America", Mr. Fiedler delves into details and places that Krammer didn't have time to cover concerning particular states - in this case, Missouri. The author uses numerous primary source documents to recollect the treatment of many prisoners. It is particularly fascinating that many former German Nazi's were treated with better regard in certain areas of the state than were American black soldiers who had fought for their country. In that, the Germans were allowed to frequent "white only" establishments that blacks were restricted from entering, a peculiar and disheartening dichotomy to say the least. Certainly some regions in Missouri were quicker than others to accept these POW's as would be understandable. The very kind treatment and acceptance that many of these men, particularly Germans soldiers in German communities in Missouri witnessed, seems to have served to promote a positive image of the victorious America.

There are photos expressively dispersed in the book, which help to bring lucidity to the overall picture. The fact that so many prisoners were in America will shock the non-historian, as well as the casual reader. It will be equally surprising for most to read the elaborate measures taken to accomodate these POW's. How they retained their culture and discipline is also very interesting, especially the Germans. Although, to Germans this"Gehorsamkeit" or obedience to authority is not shocking, it is fascinating nonetheless. The references are well annotated throughout the book, although my only qualm (and it's a small one) is the failure to employ some of the original language if only in short exerpts akin to the writing of William Manchester. I think some things are lost in translation and would have been interesting to read. All in all a very fine work. A must have for collectors of WW2 history, and Missourians,(which I am not, although I attended Wash U) as well as worth reading for anyone interested in obtaining greater depth of American military history post WW2. Bravo Herr Fiedler.

Growing up in Missouri, I never knew about Enemy POW's being here during WWII. This book really does a fine job of painting a picture of life for both the POW's and the Missourians that worked with and befriended them.

The photographs are excellent and Fiedler does a wonderful job of sharing a fascinating story!

Especially in light of the current news about POW's, this book is very timely and interesting.

This is not a bad book at all. I honestly enjoyed it for a number of reasons. First, there are not a lot of books dealing with the Italian Campaign in WWII. This book covers one man's journey from Anzio to the Italian Alps. Second it mentions a number of military units not commonly written about, such as the joint Canadian and American 1st Special Services division and the South African 6th Armored Division.

On another note, I get the feeling that while the author was very young at the time of the war, he grew up very quickly, but still had some adolescent tendencies that he struggled with. I suppose this is part of his growing up in a twisted world. The book ends abruptly, and I won't spoil it for you. But I did enjoy the fact he admitted he came back from the war, troubled, angry, addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. Probably, because I have found myself in the same shoes.

At the age of 21, Loyd M. Wells was drafted into the army and commissioned a second lieutenant after attended O.C.S. He was later promoted to first lieutenant with the First Armored Division and saw action in North Africa, Italy, and Germany, winning the Combat Infantry Badge, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Start. In From Anzio To The Alps: An American Soldier's Story, the late Lloyd Wells (1919-2000) leaves contemporary readers with a vividly written story about the night of February 21, 1944 when American troops came up to the caves at Anzio and what happened during the last offensive in Italy when armored infantry troops found themselves on the perimeter of a major attack. But more than just an accounting of battles and front line conditions, From Anzio To The Alps is a personal story of how young soldiers found themselves transformed by one of the most widespread and lethal wars in recorded human history. Here revealed is the humor, the sadness, the terror, and the tender moments of a war which is now remembered first hand by fewer and fewer participants more than a half-century later. A terrific read, From Anzio To The Alps is a welcome addition to the growing library of World War II biographical accounts and strongly recommended for personal and community library collections.

Lloyd M. Wells' wartime memoirs, "From Anzio to the Alps: An American Soldier's Story" is a fascinating slice of personal history. First, it is worth mentioning that this is NOT a broad perspective history or even one giving a wealth of big-picture information about the action the author was personally involved in (the Italian Campaign). While Wells tries (with some success) to place action within some context, "From Anzio to the Alps" is ONE soldier's story - as the subtitle states. The prose presented is based upon Wells' personal diaries that had lane dormant for decades before he decided to tell his story. The historical viewpoint presented by Wells, with exceptions for context, is largely from wherever Wells was at the moment he originally jotted down his feelings of the period. The reader is taken on an amazing journey with Wells from his entry into the Italian campaign (he actually started, not on the coast near Anzio as the title suggests, but near Cassino - his armored infantry unit was moved to the Anzio sector after just days before engaging the enemy) to the heady days post V-E day and Wells' 'lusts/loves' of Italy and Paris.

The personal view of war, not just combat but reflection on how the war changes men, was the most compelling and recurrent theme of this book. Wells does an excellent job pouring his heart into the story while at the same time restraining himself from being self aggrandizing (as others from the Greatest Generation have fallen victim to) or sappy. Thus the reader feels many emotions as if he/she was there with Wells and his comrades in arms. One will undoubtedly walk away from this book with a greater appreciation for how very young boys left their homes (many, if not most, for the first time) for war on foreign soils as naïve and uncultured, full of honest optimism, and through the period of a few months to a couple of years grew into cynical men with more human experience than most would have desired who were older than their years and much more appreciative of their lives. Readers can't help but empathize with veterans of foreign wars for all they go through emotionally leaving and then readjusting to civilian life.

Wells' prose is solid as they come and a reader can get through this book (251 pp.) quite fast because its text construction is so well done and the story so compelling. Anyone interested in a personal story of war told with literary zeal and engaging emotion should pick up "From Anzio to the Alps". 5 star read!!!

I bought this book because my father served in North Africa and Italy and I wanted some history on those theatres of the war, which my father had not shared with me.
Instead of another historical account, filled with facts and figures, I found a very personal story of one man's experiences.
A few pages into the book, the author offers a translation of commonly used army expletives of the time. It let me know right away that this was going to be a candid and sometimes humorous memoir.
For anyone who would like to see the war through one soldier's eyes, I would recommend this book.

This is one of the best books on movie palaces. The writing is sharp--Dr. Bagley is a professional journalist and teacher of writing.

All her research is original--so this is the only book where you can find this information. The photos are sensational and someof them are breathtaking of the architectural designs on such theateers as the St. Louis Fox or Powell Hall.

This book is a treasure and I wish Dr. Bagley would write more.

I enjoyed reading Mary Bagley's book, The Front Row. I remember going to these old movie palaces when I was a kid. I like the way the movie houses are verbally described and the history of them related. I have found the book to be extremely accurate and a good photo collection.

The detail and time that went into such a book, it's hard to put it in words. After reading it and looking at the photos you can't help but wonder where have all the great movie houses have gone. If you talk a walk into the neighborhood of such places you would be ah struck to see the change. I feel that she has gone through great pain to try and capture the once thearters that use to be. It's hard to find people like this to go through the detail in discovering such movies houses. Thanks Mary for doing such a great job.

My name is Sarah Bagley, and I'm Mary Bagley's niece. I just wanted to say that It's one of the best books that my aunt has ever written.